Written Answers Wednesday 16 January 2008

Scottish Executive

Antisocial Behaviour

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings to discuss antisocial behaviour were held in local communities from August to December 2007.

Fergus Ewing: The following meetings were held in local communities between August and December 2007 to discuss antisocial behaviour:

  10 August 2007 – Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Kenny MacAskill, held meetings with Fife Community Safety Partnership and Fife Police in Glenrothes and Kirkcaldy to discuss community safety issues, including antisocial behaviour.

  13 August 2007 - Officials and national co-ordinators from the Scottish Government Community Safety Unit and Youth Justice met with Renfrewshire Local Authority to identify good practice in dealing with youth justice, community safety and antisocial behaviour and assess the potential for these approaches to be used in other local authority areas.

  28 August 2007 - Officials and national co-ordinators from the Scottish Government Community Safety Unit and Youth Justice met with South Ayrshire Local Authority to identify good practice in dealing with youth justice, community safety and antisocial behaviour and assess the potential for these approaches to be used in other local authority areas.

  12 September 2007 – Minister for Community Safety, Fergus Ewing, and officials visited Port Glasgow to launch Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland’s Public Reassurance Strategy.

  2 October 2007 – Minister for Community Safety, Fergus Ewing, and officials visited NCH Scotland, Perth, to officially open the Perth, Falkirk and South Lanarkshire Breaking the Cycle Intensive Family Support demonstration projects.

  4 October 2007 - Officials and national co-ordinators from the Scottish Government Community Safety Unit and Youth Justice met with East Ayrshire Local Authority to identify good practice in dealing with youth justice, community safety and antisocial behaviour and assess the potential for these approaches to be used in other local authority areas.

  17 October 2007 – Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Kenny MacAskill, and officials visited Glasgow for the launch of Fixed Penalty Notices for minor antisocial offences by Strathclyde Police.

  25 October 2007 – Minister for Community Safety, Fergus Ewing, and officials, visited the City of Edinburgh Council Early Intervention Case Management Project to mark publication of the Terms of Reference for the review of the national antisocial behaviour strategy, three related research reports and relevant statistics.

  6 November 2007 – Minister for Community Safety and his officials, Fergus Ewing met with Michael Matheson MSP and Annette Holmes of the Falkirk Car Cruisers’ Committee to discuss antisocial driving and seizure of vehicle powers being considered as part of the review of the national antisocial behaviour strategy.

  6 November 2007 – Minister for Community Safety, Fergus Ewing and his officials, met with Mr Matheson and Central Scotland Police, including Chief Constable Andrew Cameron, to discuss antisocial driving and seizure of vehicle powers.

  6 November 2007 – Minister for Community Safety, Fergus Ewing, visited Larbert Fire Station, Larbert.

  13 November 2007 – Minister for Community Safety, Fergus Ewing, visited North Ayrshire to meet the North Ayrshire Community Forum and hold a public forum at Radio City, both with discussion on the antisocial behaviour strategy review.

  14 November 2007 – Minister for Community Safety and officials attended the Community Wardens Conference, Dunblane.

  24 November 2007 – Minister for Community Safety, Fergus Ewing, and officials visited the Scottish Business Crime Centre in Stirling to launch the ACPOS Crime Prevention Strategy.

  29 November 2007 – Minister for Community Safety, Fergus Ewing, delivered keynote address and took questions at the Scottish Community Safety Network Chairs’ and Managers’ meeting in Edinburgh.

Antisocial Behaviour

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that the transcripts of meetings in local communities to discuss antisocial behaviour are published.

Fergus Ewing: It is not routine practice for the Scottish Government to take or publish full transcripts of meetings in local communities. However, notes of the outcome or action points from such meetings will be provided on request where available and appropriate, in accordance with Freedom of Information legislation.

Child Welfare

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding is being made available for each of the next three years of the spending review to support survivors of child sexual abuse.

Shona Robison: The provision of these services is the responsibility of each NHS board and local authority from the resources provided over the three year spending review period.

  The Scottish Government is providing funding of £1 million each year in 2007-08 and 2008-09 through the National Strategy for Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse to help address the needs of adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. £1.7 million of this has been allocated to 25 statutory and voluntary organisations to develop a wide range of services for survivors, including preventative work, support and counselling for male survivors and homeless young women. Further details can be found at www.survivorscotland.org.uk.

  The overarching aim of the strategy is to increase knowledge of issues faced by survivors and to improve information and access to appropriate health and social care services. It is hoped that increased awareness can lead to earlier intervention resulting in a lesser burden on primary and mental health services.

Child Welfare

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding is being made available for each of the next three years of the spending review to meet the health needs of survivors of child sexual abuse.

Shona Robison: Spending to meet the health needs of survivors of childhood sexual abuse is a matter for NHS boards within the framework of the Action Plan Better Health, Better Care .  This aims to improve both access to, and the purchase of, quality of health care for all people in Scotland.

Child Welfare

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding is being made available for each of the next three years of the spending review to meet the housing needs of survivors of child sexual abuse.

Shona Robison: The provision of services to meet the housing needs of survivors of sexual abuse is the responsibility of local government to be drawn from the local government settlement of £34.7 billion over three years.

Children

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of its budget it proposes to spend on children.

Adam Ingram: The national outcomes and spending proposals set out in the Scottish Budget: Spending Review 2007 underline the Scottish Government’s commitment to children and young people. This document also contains more detailed expenditure plans, for portfolios. Almost all of the budget that is spent on services for children is now contained within the local government settlement and the budgets for health boards.

Children in Care

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of the cost of implementation of Getting it Right for Every Child in Kinship and Foster Care .

Adam Ingram: The Scottish Government and COSLA will work together to implement Getting it Right for Every Child in Kinship and Foster Care , including the recommendations of the external reference group co-managed by BAAF and TFN once they are brought forward.

  The funding package offered to local government, as part of the joint concordat between the Scottish Government and COSLA, contains adequate allocation for local authorities to meet the costs of implementation.

  Alongside the concordat, the Scottish Government has provided Citizens Advice Scotland with £172,754 to meet the costs of developing an advice and information service for kinship carers and the Fostering Network £126,027 to meet the costs of developing a protocol to be used for carers facing allegations and further developing the organisation’s mediation helpline.

Children in Care

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what specific funding has been given to local authorities as a result of the spending review and the budget to support implementation of Getting it Right for Every Child in Kinship and Foster Care .

Adam Ingram: The funding package offered to local government, as part of the joint concordat between the Scottish Government and COSLA, contains adequate resources for local authorities to implement Getting it Right for Every Child in Kinship and Foster Care .

Children in Care

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost will be of providing foster care allowances to both foster carers and kinship carers at the recommended rate.

Adam Ingram: Getting it Right for Every Child in Kinship and Foster Care supports the provision of allowances to carers of looked after children at the rate recommended by The Fostering Network. The funding package offered to local government, as part of the joint concordat between the Scottish Government and COSLA, contains adequate allocation for local authorities to implement this strategy.

Children in Care

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether foster carers and kinship carers will have a right to payment at the recommended level of foster care and kinship care allowances and, if so, how this right will be enforced.

Adam Ingram: The commitment to implementation of the recommendations in Getting it Right for Every Child in Kinship and Foster Care is one shared by Scottish Government and local government. It will be for local government to deliver this as part of a partnership approach.

Children’s Hearings

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what options will be available to children’s hearings that wish to use intensive support and monitoring services if individual local authorities decide not to use the money allocated for such purposes to provide such a service.

Fergus Ewing: The terms of the concordat between central and local government commit to a reduction in central government monitoring of local government spending lines – this is reflected in the removal of ring-fenced resources for a significant amount of activity.

  Funding to support youth justice activities, such as intensive support and monitoring, will therefore not be ring-fenced from 1 April 2008, it will be included in the overall local government settlement.

  Every local authority area will have the flexibility to make decisions about what will best achieve good outcomes.

  We expect all agencies charged with achieving better outcomes for children and young people to work together in partnership and to reach collective decisions about what will best achieve those aims.

  When conflict occurs, children’s panels have the option of asking the principal reporter to use local authority accountability powers, as set out in the Antisocial Behaviour Act 2004, to ensure the needs of children and young people are met.

Community Health Partnerships

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive which community health partnerships (CHP) have a representative of the Scottish Ambulance Service on their management committees, broken down by NHS board.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government does not hold information on the composition of CHP management committees centrally. However, CHP regulations set out minimum requirements for membership of CHP committees and boards have local discretion in terms of additional members.

Domestic Abuse

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings have been held with women’s organisations to discuss the funding for places in refuges for women suffering from domestic abuse.

Stewart Maxwell: No meetings have been held with women’s organisations to specifically discuss the funding for places in refuges for women suffering from domestic abuse. However, as chair of the National Group to Address Violence Against Women I get a report on progress from the Domestic Abuse Accommodation and Provision Working Group. This group last met on 12 June 2007 and provided an update report to the last National Group meeting held on 26 November 2007. The next meeting of the Domestic Abuse Accommodation and Provision Working Group is due to take place at the end of February 2008.

Domestic Abuse

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings are planned with women’s organisations to discuss the funding of places in refuges for women suffering from domestic abuse.

Stewart Maxwell: The Domestic Abuse Accommodation and Provision Working Group, which was established by the National Group to Address Violence Against Women is due to meet at the end of February 2008. Scottish Women’s Aid is represented on this group, as is COSLA, and the Violence Against Women Team and Housing Support from the Scottish Government.

  The issue of funding for refuge provision will be raised with this group.

Domestic Abuse

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will postpone for two or three years the removal of ring fencing from funds for violence against women to local authorities until agreements are in place to guarantee that sufficient places will be available in refuges for women suffering from domestic abuse.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will postpone for two or three years the removal of ring fencing from funds to local authorities until agreements are in place to guarantee that domestic abuse services will be enhanced rather than diminished.

Stewart Maxwell: Under the concordat agreed between Scottish ministers and COSLA, the Supporting People fund and an element of the Violence Against Women Fund will from 1 April 2008, be absorbed into the main local government settlement. This decision to remove ring fencing from these funds will not be postponed.

  Removing the ring fencing from these funds will reduce unnecessary administrative and accounting burdens, freeing up more resources for front line services, as well as promoting more integrated and efficient planning and delivery of services, and allow more flexibility in how support packages for individuals are funded.

  Both national and local government recognise the importance of tackling violence against women. The Scottish Government will be providing local government in Scotland with record levels of funding over the period covered by the spending review 2008-11. It will be the responsibility of each local authority to allocate the resources available to it on the basis of local needs and priorities, to fulfil its statutory obligations and meet the Scottish Government’s key strategic objectives and national outcomes, which were set out in the concordat and agreed with COSLA.

  Furthermore, the Scottish Government has shown its on-going commitment to the work to tackle violence against women, including domestic abuse through the allocation of more than £40 million over the next three years to this agenda. For example, both the Violence Against Women Fund and the Children’s Services Women’s Aid Fund will continue, as well as funding for Scottish Women’s Aid.

Higher Education

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which organisations were consulted to inform the decision on who should be represented on the Joint Future Thinking Taskforce on Universities.

Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government established the Joint Future Thinking Taskforce on Universities and its membership in agreement with Universities Scotland. Representation on the taskforce is from these two parties.

Higher Education

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether representatives of the STUC, University and College Union and National Union of Students in Scotland will be included in the membership of the Joint Future Thinking Taskforce on Universities.

Fiona Hyslop: I have decided that a comprehensive and labour-intensive independent review which can take years to produce results was not appropriate in this case. I have deliberately restricted membership of the taskforce to university Principals and Scottish Government to ensure a short, sharp exercise that produces tangible results within a short timescale.

  Representatives of the STUC, trades unions and NUS all contributed to the higher education futures project in 2006. Their views were recorded and will be taken into account by the taskforce as appropriate.

  I will also continue to have a dialogue with these and other stakeholders on issues relating to higher education. I have invited the STUC to meet me to discuss the challenges facing the sector. I am also planning to hold a student summit in March to hear the views of students.

Housing

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have not submitted Strategic Housing Investment Plans (SHIPs) to Communities Scotland.

Stewart Maxwell: I have asked James Hynd, Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:

  Dumfries and Galloway Council and Shetland Islands Council have not yet submitted Strategic Housing Investment Plans.

Housing

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what reasons have been given by those local authorities which have not submitted Strategic Housing Investment Plans (SHIPs) to Communities Scotland for not doing so.

Stewart Maxwell: I have asked James Hynd, Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:

  Dumfries and Galloway Council and Shetland Islands Council have both indicated that pressure of work has prevented the submission of their Strategic Housing Investment Plans.

Housing

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken in respect of those local authorities which have not submitted Strategic Housing Investment Plans (SHIPs) to Communities Scotland.

Stewart Maxwell: I have asked James Hynd, Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:

  Revised submission dates of 18 January 2008 and 8 February 2008 have been agreed with Dumfries and Galloway Council and Shetland Islands Council respectively.

Housing

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what its target is for building new affordable rented homes from 2008-09 to 2010-11.

Stewart Maxwell: On the basis of the reforms proposed in Firm Foundations: the Future of Housing in Scotland , the Scottish Government expects that the increased budget for affordable housing of £1.5 billion in 2008-11 will deliver more new affordable homes – including social rented houses and houses for low cost home ownership – than planned for 2005-08.

Housing

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what it expects the unit cost to be of an affordable home in 2008-09.

Stewart Maxwell: I have asked James Hynd, Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. His response is as follows:

  The average unit cost of an affordable home in 2006-07 was £115,071. Building cost inflation is currently sitting at 7% which will affect the cost of providing an affordable home in the current year and 2008-09. However, the actual costs cannot be predicted at this point.

  As set out in the government’s current consultation: Firm Foundations: The Future of Housing in Scotland, in order to meet growing demand for increased housing supply, the Scottish Government will be consulting shortly on changes to Housing Association Grant from April 2008 and, in due course, on introduction of a competitive approach to investment.

Housing

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what it expects the average subsidy to be for each house built for social renting in 2008-09.

Stewart Maxwell: As foreshadowed in Firm Foundations: the Future of Housing in Scotland,  the Scottish Government will be consulting in coming weeks on proposals for getting better value from the current arrangements for subsidising new social housing. The average subsidy in 2008-09 will reflect the outcome of that consultation.

Justice

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-7306 by Kenny MacAskill on 12 December 2007, with which organisations it is working to draw up proposals to reinvest the proceeds of crime.

Kenny MacAskill: On Friday 11 January 2008 I announced an exciting range of opportunities which will be made available to children all across Scotland. This work to reinvest the proceeds of crime was developed in partnership with the Scottish Football Association and part financed by HBoS and the Coalfield Regeneration Trust. I will be making further announcements in due course on how the proceeds of crime will be reinvested to benefit young people across Scotland.

Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many prosecutions have been brought under section (a) 311, (b) 313, (c) 315, (d) 316, (e) 317 and (f) 318 of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 in each year since the Act came into force and how many of the prosecutions have resulted in conviction.

Right Hon Elish Angiolini QC: Since the implementation of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment)(Scotland) Act 2003, four charges have been prosecuted under section 311 of the act. As at 17 December 2007, only one of these charges had reached a conclusion and the accused was convicted of an alternative charge of breach of the peace. Charges can also be reported to the Procurator Fiscal under the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1984 if alleged offences took place before the 2003 act came into force.

NHS Hospitals

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the percentage change in the number of people presented to accident and emergency departments has been in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board area.

Nicola Sturgeon: Information on the percentage change in the number of people presenting to Accident and Emergency departments in each of the last five years by NHS board area is shown in table 1.

  Table 1: Accident and Emergency Attendances; Percentage Change from Previous Year; Years Ending 31 March 2003-07

  

 
 2002-03
 2003-04
 2004-051
 2005-062
 2006-072,3


 Scotland
 -1.8
 0.1
 -2.3
 0.3
 3.1


 Ayrshire and Arran
 -1.9
 2.7
 0.6
 -0.6
 2.5


 Borders
 1.2
 -2.2
 -4.1
 4.8
 -25.4


 Dumfries and Galloway
 0.5
 1.4
 3.9
 10.5
 13.9


 Fife
 -4.4
 4.2
 -0.9
 0.1
 5.4


 Forth Valley
 -2.6
 -0.3
 3.0
 -5.2
 7.9


 Grampian
 -4.0
 -7.0
 -21.1
 7.0
 2.0


 Greater Glasgow
 -1.9
 -1.1
 -3.9
 -0.3
 2.3


 Highland
 -3.4
 8.2
 -2.8
 4.2
 7.0


 Lanarkshire
 3.7
 5.0
 1.1
 0.2
 -2.1


 Lothian
 -4.8
 -2.4
 2.7
 -1.1
 11.7


 Orkney
 7.4
 12.9
 2.7
 2.5
 1.4


 Shetland
 -10.8
 0.5
 21.2
 -2.3
 3.3


 Tayside
 1.7
 -0.5
 2.2
 -4.2
 -2.7


 Western Isles
 14.2
 5.7
 18.4
 -8.6
 -1.0



  Notes:

  1. Some activity for emergency nurse practitioners is recorded as nurse-led activity from 2004-05 onwards.

  2. Some information for 2005-06 and 2006-07 is estimated, this is mainly due to the implementation of the new Emergency Department Information System.

  3. There is a substantial change in accident and emergency activity for some boards for 2006-07. This is due to re-classification of medical admissions units from in-patient to accident and emergency. The four hour accident and emergency waiting time now applies to these units.

Older People

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the general medical services contract requires professional staff to demonstrate that they have received appropriate training when dealing with elderly patients with dementia.

Nicola Sturgeon: GP training includes the general care of patients with long-term conditions such as dementia. These skills would be expected to be held by any health professional working in primary care with patients with dementia.

  At present there is no requirement under the General Medical Services contract for GPs or practice staff to undertake additional training on the care of people with dementia.

Parkinson’s Disease

James Kelly (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what provision will be made for additional support nurses for sufferers from Parkinson’s disease following the announcement of its health strategy.

Nicola Sturgeon: The planning of the workforce, including specialist Parkinson’s disease nurses, is a matter for NHS boards who are responsible for planning services in their area based on clinical need. Services for people with long-term conditions are also for NHS boards to plan and fund from the budgets made available to them by the Scottish Government.

People with Disabilities

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-5790 by Shona Robison on 5 November 2007, who the members are of the project board dealing with the independent review of NHS wheelchair and seating services.

Shona Robison: The current membership of the Wheelchair and Seating Services Project Board (WSSPB) is as follows:

  Richard Carey: Chief Executive - NHS Grampian (Project Board Chair)

  Geoff Bardsley: Consultant Clinical Scientist – Head of Service, Tayside Orthopaedic Rehabilitation Technology (TORT) Centre

  Ruth Cleland: Head of Internal Communications - NHS Highland

  John Colvin: Head of Service - West of Scotland Mobility and Rehabilitation Centre (WESTMARC)

  Janet Garcia: Wheelchair and Seating Services Project Manager - Scottish Government Healthcare Policy and Strategy Directorate

  Anne Harkness: Director of Rehabilitation and Assessment - NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

  Liz Rowlett: Policy, Information and Parliamentary Officer - Scottish Disability Equality Forum and Carer Representative

  Sylvia Shearer: Head of Branch, Blood and Rehabilitation Equipment - Scottish Government Healthcare Policy and Strategy Directorate

  Ron Skinner: Service User Representative

  Roseanne Urquhart: Head of Healthcare Strategy - NHS Highland

  Chair, Rehabilitation Technology Services Advisory Group.

  At the second meeting of the WSSPB on 19 November 2007, it was agreed that the board should also include a local authority representative. Officials have invited COSLA to nominate a representative.

  The project board may also invite experts to inform the board on an ad hoc basis as it considers appropriate.

People with Disabilities

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-5790 by Shona Robison on 5 November 2007, how often the project board dealing with the independent review of NHS wheelchair and seating services meets and for how many hours the project manager works.

Shona Robison: The Wheelchair and Seating Services Project Board meets quarterly. The chair can also call extraordinary meetings at any time if deemed necessary.

  The project manager was appointed with effect from 22 October 2007 on a full-time basis for an initial period of three years.

People with Disabilities

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-5790 by Shona Robison on 5 November 2007, why the project team will take until December 2008 to produce an action plan on NHS wheelchair and seating services.

Shona Robison: NHS Wheelchair and Seating services provide wheelchairs to those with impaired mobility arising from clinical conditions. However, wheelchair provision also includes input and interventions from a broad spectrum of agencies such as social care, housing and education services in addition to health. To successfully address the issues raised by the review, engagement with and agreement from all agencies in taking forward proposed actions is essential.

  The patient focussed approach is central to the development of redesigned services to address the recommendations from the review and continue the elimination of excess waits. Some of the improvements already underway are referred to in the answer to question S3W-7724 on 16 January 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at Questions & Answers Search.

  The project team will assess the recommendations from the review as part of the development of an action plan and ensure that changes proposed are evidence based and cost effective to NHS Scotland and its partners.

  Producing a fully costed, robust and realistic action plan that will underpin the provision of modern and sustainable NHS wheelchair and seating services in Scotland will require until December 2008. This time period includes 12 weeks for public consultation on the draft action plan prior to finalisation.

People with Disabilities

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-5790 by Shona Robison on 5 November 2007, whether it will implement any of the recommendations of the independent review of NHS wheelchair and seating services ahead of the completion of the action plan.

Shona Robison: Service providers are already considering and implementing a number of the recommendations of the independent Wheelchair and Seating Services Review including:

  the introduction of satellite clinics in the West of Scotland and in Tayside (recommendation 4);

  the introduction of self-referral by all five wheelchair and seating centres, to enable users to have their equipment requirements reviewed (recommendation 8);

  the introduction of patient information that sets out the purpose of assessment, how to get equipment maintenance, and how to report any problems by NHS Lothian, Adult Service (recommendation 13), and

  the introduction of planned preventative maintenance in NHS Highland and in the West of Scotland for powered chairs (recommendation 32).

  I expect the service providers to continue to consider and implement recommendations as far as possible ahead of the action plan.

Planning

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will commission an independent assessment of how the enhancements to Edinburgh and Glasgow airports, included in the nine infrastructure projects identified as potential national developments in the second National Planning Framework, will contribute to or impact on the 80% greenhouse gas reduction targets.

John Swinney: No. The projects which are designated as national developments such as the Glasgow and Edinburgh airport enhancements are considered to be essential to the delivery of the spatial strategy set out in the second National Planning Framework discussion draft. The high-level environmental effects are assessed in the accompanying Environmental Report. Measures to eliminate or mitigate any potential negative effects of proposals will be addressed in more detail through the assessment of development plans and specific development proposals.

Planning

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will commission an independent assessment of how the replacement Forth crossing, included in the nine infrastructure projects identified as potential national developments in the second National Planning Framework, will contribute to or impact on the 80% greenhouse gas reduction targets.

John Swinney: No. The projects which are designated as national developments such as the Forth Replacement Crossing are considered to be essential to the delivery of the spatial strategy set out in the second National Planning Framework discussion draft. The high-level environmental effects are assessed in the accompanying Environmental Report. Measures to eliminate or mitigate any potential negative effects of proposals will be addressed in more detail through the assessment of development plans and specific development proposals.

Planning

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will commission an independent assessment of how the Rosyth International Container Terminal, included in the nine infrastructure projects identified as potential national developments in the second National Planning Framework, will contribute to or impact on the 80% greenhouse gas reduction targets.

John Swinney: No. The projects which are designated as national developments such as the Rosyth International Container Terminal are considered to be essential to the delivery of the spatial strategy set out in the second National Planning Framework discussion draft. The high-level environmental effects are assessed in the accompanying Environmental Report. Measures to eliminate or mitigate any potential negative effects of proposals will be addressed in more detail through the assessment of development plans and specific development proposals.

Planning

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will commission an independent assessment of how enhanced access to the Grangemouth Freight Hub, included in the nine infrastructure projects identified as potential national developments in the second National Planning Framework, will contribute to or impact on the 80% greenhouse gas reduction targets.

John Swinney: No. The projects which are designated as national developments such as the Grangemouth Freight Hub are considered to be essential to the delivery of the spatial strategy set out in the second National Planning Framework discussion draft. The high-level environmental effects are assessed in the accompanying Environmental Report. Measures to eliminate or mitigate any potential negative effects of proposals will be addressed in more detail through the assessment of development plans and specific development proposals.

Planning

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will commission an independent assessment of how the Scapa Flow Container Transhipment Facility, included in the nine infrastructure projects identified as potential national developments in the second National Planning Framework, will contribute to or impact on the 80% greenhouse gas reduction targets.

John Swinney: No. The projects which are designated as national developments such as the Scapa Flow Container Transhipment Facility are considered to be essential to the delivery of the spatial strategy set out in the second National Planning Framework discussion draft. The high-level environmental effects are assessed in the accompanying Environmental Report. Measures to eliminate or mitigate any potential negative effects of proposals will be addressed in more detail through the assessment of development plans and specific development proposals.

Prescription Charges

Jim Hume (South of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that the availability of prescription prepayment certificates is properly advertised and promoted.

Shona Robison: We are currently developing proposals to ensure that people are made aware of the reductions to prescription charges being introduced from 1 April 2008. We are specifically looking at ways of informing the public about the availability and benefits of Prescription Pre-payment Certificates.

Roads

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate has been made of the cost of dealing with snow on the roads this winter; what account has been taken of such cost in the local government settlement, and whether there is any contingency provision if the estimate is exceeded.

Stewart Stevenson: Support for local authority roads, including winter safety measures, will be provided through the core local government finance settlement and it will be for the local authorities themselves to determine the level of spending for roads in their area.

  Generally it is the responsibility of each local authority to allocate the total financial resources available to it on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled its statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities including the Scottish Government’s key strategic objectives and manifesto commitments. It is, therefore, for local authorities to make any contingency arrangements for dealing with winter roads maintenance from within their allocated resources.

  Transport Scotland will spend over £7.5 million on winter maintenance on Scotland’s trunk roads and motorways this winter.

Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether ventilation, natural light and means of escape are included in the "service or services as the Scottish ministers may by regulations prescribe" in section 19(1) of the Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004.

Fergus Ewing: Section 19 of the Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004 entitles owners of a flat to lead pipes, cables or other equipment through any part of the tenement for the provision to that owner’s flat of such services as the Scottish ministers may prescribe. The right will be subject to such procedures as Scottish ministers may also prescribe under subsection (2) and subsection (3) which ensures that an owner will not be entitled to lead anything through or fix anything to any part which is wholly within another owner’s flat. The right will also be subject to the provisions of section 17 on access.

  Section 19 is available for services which fall within devolved territory. No services have been identified as requiring Scottish ministers to make regulations. Section 19 provides for future technological developments which may result in the providers of new services requesting access for installation purposes.

  In relation to natural light, s9(1)(b) of the 2004 act prohibits any owner or occupier from doing anything which would impair the natural light enjoyed by any part of the tenement building.

  The title deeds of a tenement may make provision for ventilation, natural light and means of escape.

Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether a roof window is part of the set defined as "pipe, cable or other equipment" in section 19(1) of the Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004.

Fergus Ewing: A roof window is not part of the set defined as "pipe, cable or other equipment" in section 19(1) of the Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004.

  I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-7884 on 16 January 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at Questions & Answers Search.

Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether section 19 of the Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004 provides a statutory right for an escape window through a roof in common ownership.

Fergus Ewing: Section 19 of the Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004 does not provide a statutory right for an escape window through a roof in common ownership.

  I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-7884 on 16 January 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at Questions & Answers Search.

Transport

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has allocated to the City of Edinburgh Council for Cycling, Walking and Safer Streets projects in each of the last five years.

Stewart Stevenson: Over the last five years, the City of Edinburgh Council has received a total grant of £3.847 million from the Cycling, Walking, Safer Streets grant programme, broken down as follows:

  2007-08 - £818,000

  2006-07 - £796,000

  2005-06 - £767,000

  2004-05 - £727,000

  2003-04 - £739,000.

  It is of course within the power of the City Of Edinburgh Council to add to these totals from its own resources should it wish to do so.

Transport

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to increase the funding allocated to the City of Edinburgh Council’s Cycling, Walking and Safer Streets budget in order to improve the quality and maintenance of cycle routes in the Edinburgh area.

Stewart Stevenson: The Cycling, Walking, Safer Streets programme budget will remain at 2007-08 levels for all Scottish Local Authorities, as part of the negotiated settlement with COSLA. It is of course within the power of the City of Edinburgh Council to add to its Cycling, Walking, Safer Streets allocation from its own budget should it wish to do so.

  The SEStran Regional Transport Partnership recently announced an investment of £800,000 for improvements to cycle paths in the Edinburgh area, including plans for the A90.

Trump Organization Planning Application

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Chief Planner had a telephone conversation with Aberdeenshire Council on 4 December 2007 concerning the planning application for the Menie Estate in Aberdeenshire and, if so, who was present in the room during this conversation.

The Executive have supplied the following corrected answer:

John Swinney: The chief planner made three telephone calls to the chief executive of Aberdeenshire Council on the afternoon of 4 December. David Ferguson, Head of Planning Decisions was present during these conversations. The first of these calls was to request an update on the status of the council’s consideration of the application. The chief planner advised the chief executive that representatives from the Trump Organization were present in the room. At the request of the chief executive those representatives of the Trump Organization left the room for the duration of the call. The second call to the chief executive was to advise that the chief planner would be recommending to Scottish ministers that the planning application should be called in. The third call to the chief executive was to confirm that the planning application was to be called in by the Scottish ministers. The chief planner and the Head of Planning Decisions were the only people in the room during those telephone calls.

Youth Justice

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it expects every local authority to utilise finance to be provided from April 2008 for the specific purpose of rolling out intensive support and monitoring services.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much finance will be distributed to each local authority from April 2008 to provide an intensive support and monitoring service.

Fergus Ewing: The terms of the concordat between central and local government commit to a reduction in central government monitoring of local government spending lines – this is reflected in the removal of ring-fenced resources for a significant amount of activity.

  Funding to support youth justice activities, such as intensive support and monitoring, will therefore not be ring-fenced from 1 April 2008, it will be included in the overall local government settlement.

  Every local authority area will have the flexibility to make decisions about what will best achieve good outcomes.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body Art Advisory Group

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, further to the announcement of the appointment of MSPs to the Art Advisory Group, which MSPs applied for membership but were unsuccessful; whether unsuccessful applicants were notified prior to the announcement being made; what the process was for selection; what criteria were used to make the selection, and whether those selected have any background or expertise in design or fine art.

Tricia Marwick: The Art Advisory Group was first established in 2005. Its membership included MSPs and three experts. The three experts have agreed to be members of the new group. The SPCB invited expressions of interest from MSPs on 8 October 2007 for the remainder of positions but did not require members to provide details of background or expertise in design or fine art.

  The following members expressed their interest:

  Labour (4): Patricia Ferguson MSP, Ken Macintosh MSP, Frank McAveety MSP, Cathy Peattie MSP

  SNP (4): Roseanna Cunningham MSP, Christine Grahame MSP, Ian McKee MSP, Mike Russell MSP

  Liberal Democrats (3): Alison McInnes MSP, Jeremy Purvis MSP, Jamie Stone MSP,

  Conservative (1): Ted Brocklebank MSP

  Other (1): Robin Harper MSP.

  The matter was considered by the SPCB on 7 November 2007 and given the level of interest in membership SPCB asked officials to discuss membership of the group with the parties to establish a practical number of members. The outcomes of these discussions with parties was presented to SPCB and approved by them at their meeting on 19 December 2007. There was no formal communication back to individual members who were not selected in advance of the confirmation of membership by the SPCB.